The online home of the self-published comics & prose anthology, Warrior27, an homage to Britain's early-80s comic magazine, Warrior - along with the various writings, musings, and miscellany of Dan Fleming and Chris Beckett.

Monday, July 13, 2015

A Fistful of Warren Ellis Comics

Everyone has a “Top
5.” But Brad and Matt, choosing to walk
a different path, amended that to “A Fistful…” over at their blog, In the Mouth
of Dorkness. A film-centric blog where
they also discuss comics and books and TV, these two regularly share their top
5, ranging from “Heroic Kids” to “Spies” to “Summer Movies” to “Punches” to all
things in between. Always fun, often
insightful, and something I hope to regularly pilfer for Warrior27. As they say:
If you’re going to steal, steal
from those you know relatively well, who will not sue you.

Warren Ellis is as
well known for his online presence as for his writing. I couldn’t say whether I came to appreciate
that or the writing first, and I couldn’t say, for certain, what my first
Warren Ellis comic was (though it may have been that initial Authority
collection, with Bryan Hitch).
Regardless, Ellis has become one of my favorite comic authors, as well
as one of my favorite prose writers.

Like Harlan
Ellison, another of my literary heroes, Ellis is fiercely dedicated to writing,
and, for me, that comes through in much of his work. Characterized by uncompromising protagonists
who lack (or actively eschew) any kind of social filter, with a leaning toward
the future and inventive extrapolations from today’s cutting-edge technologies,
Ellis’s writing can be harsh and unflinching, but there is always an emotional
heart at its core. Writing across
genres, with his distinct voice, Ellis has placed his stamp on the contemporary
comics landscape and influenced a number of writers working today, including
Jonathan Hickman, Greg Rucka, and Brian Michael Bendis.

Ellis’s body of
work is broad and far-reaching, and I must admit to not having read a lot of it
(mainly his early work or a lot of his “cape” work, including the bulk of his
Marvel superhero stuff or his Stormwatch run). That caveat out of the way, here are my five
favorite Ellis works, in no particular order:

Ellis wanted to do a series of “first issues” of imaginary series, ones that
might have been created if the comic industry had followed directly from the
pulp magazines and not been overtaken by superheroes. This was his detective story.

Frank Ironwine is a detective whose personal hygiene leaves something to be
desired, but whose analytical acumen is on par with Holmes. He understands that it isn’t the lifeless
evidence and data that will break a case, but the human interactions. He listens to people, is sensitive to their
emotions, understanding them almost better than they understand themselves, and
he also hears the world around him in a way that is almost supernatural. Juxtaposed against his new partner—young and
impatient—readers get to see him work a case and put it down quickly, because
of his ability to see and hear what most overlook, because they are either
unwilling to take the time or too preoccupied with the wrong things.

Frank Ironwine is a lovely paean to Columbo, a show that inspired Ellis, which
I also adore, with beautiful artwork from McNeil, whose deft handling of body
language and facial expressions wonderfully realizes this story. Buy this already!

·Planetary, with John Cassaday, from
DC/Wildstorm Comics:

As described by Alan Moore, and others, Planetary is an excavation of the
fantastical history of the twentieth century by a trio of “archeologists of the
impossible,” as they work to reveal the secret history behind this formative
century while working to prevent “The Four” from using these same secrets for
their personal gain, as they have done for decades.

With Planetary, Ellis gets to play with all the pulp/superhero/fantasy icons of
the twentieth century through analogs created for this series—including the
Shadow, Doc Savage, Superman, the Fantastic Four, Captain Marvel (Shazam),
Godzilla, Tarzan, and many others—affording a platform with which to critique
and update these characters. But this is not a series of “essays” but a single,
coherent narrative full of intrigue and drama and emotion, with some kick-ass
action thrown in for fun.

Cassaday, as artist, really shines on this book, too—the book that made him a
superstar. His meticulous linework,
coupled with Laura Martin’s lush coloring, enhance the series and make it
distinct. Love this book!

·Fell, with Ben Templesmith, from Image Comics:

Another detective narrative, this one finds Richard Fell shunted to the bad
side of town, stuck in a detective’s office with hollow officers who’ve long
since given up trying to make things right for the citizens. Throughout the nine issues that have been
published so far (fingers crossed it will continue, someday), Ellis &
Templesmith offer dense, one-and-done stories that reveal the ugliness of the
world.

Like, Ironwine above, this is a
tightly plotted series that tells a complete mystery in a single issue, while
narrative threads expand across the broader series. With distinct characters and a harrowing
setting, this was one of the most entertaining and engaging comics I was
reading when it was being published.

Utilizing a “slimline” format, as coined by Ellis, each story was 16 pages
long, with short essays in the back to accentuate the reading experience. And yet, they never read slowly and never
felt slim. If you’ve never read this, check it out. Now!

·SVK, with D’Israeli, from Berg Eneterprises:

In an alternate London, two former intelligence officers come back together
when one—a successful businessman working on the latest surveillance technology—calls
on a favor from his old comrade. Their
latest piece of tech has gone missing, signed out by an employee who did not
return after the weekend, and who should not have taken out this one-of-a-kind
prototype, SVK. Through the course of a
single 44-page issue (with interstitial essays and replica ads), readers learn
what this bit of tech can do, what the bad blood between these former
colleagues is, and how the world has changed since their falling out.

This single issue encapsulates everything that makes Warren Ellis a favorite of
mine. He packs into a single issue more
story and history, emotional entanglements and double-crosses than a typical
six-issue storyline from the “Big Two,” while incorporating ideas and
extrapolations from the latest technological research that makes it feel new
and vibrant in the manner that most readers crave their science fiction to
be. And, he manages to incorporate the
UV-light (or torch) that Berg wanted as part of this package into the actual
storyline so that it makes sense and does not come off as a gimmick. That, I found impressive.

Then there’s D’Israli (or Matt Brooker) on art.
Ellis & D’Israeli created the much-loved Lazarus Churchyard series,
years ago, and his art perfectly conveys this alternate timeline story. His London comes to life through the details
he includes within the panels, without cluttering them. And when we hit the final reveal—that explains
the rift between these former intelligence agents, as well as how this world is
different from ours—it is a kick in the gut, conveyed through the juxtaposition
of the protagonist’s casual remarks and the image of destruction on that final
page, masterfully done by Ellis & D’Israeli. Great book!
(but good luck finding one)

·Transmetropolitan, with Dark Robertson, from
DC/Vertigo:

This is Ellis’s magnum opus, his big, long Vertigo series that put him on the
map. And it’s wonderful. In a dystopian future, journalist Spider
Jerusalem is dragged (metaphorically) down off the mountain where he’s been
living and back into the city, in order to fulfill his publishing
contract. A foul-mouthed, arrogant,
unrelenting, and unapologetic bastard, Spider’s writing is infused with
vitriolic righteousness that speaks to the people and pisses off all the right
people in power.

Through the course of 60 issues, Ellis & Roberson attack every moral crime
they can, while Spider Jerusalem works to reveal the corruption upon which the
next U.S. President, “The Smiler,” has built his powerbase, in order to bring
him down. It’s a deftly handled cat and
mouse game between Spider and the Smiler, that is engaging and entertaining,
while again revealing the ugly underbelly of society.

Robertson perfectly complements Ellis’s narrative with detailed art and packed
panels that help to flesh out this fully realized dystopian America, as
envisioned by these creators. If you
enjoy dystopian science fiction or gonzo journalism or social justice or
reprehensible characters who plumb the depths of decency and still manage to be
the hero (or heroic, to a degree), then this is the book for you. Highest recommendation!

There are also a
number of Honorable Mentions that
should be … mentioned (ahem). So, here
we go:

And his novels, Crooked Little Vein and Gun
Machine.Highly entertaining, with that
dark twist I appreciate in Ellis’s writing.

These are all great
reads, and there are many more. I
definitely prefer his “indie” work, but I’ve also enjoyed a lot of his superhero
books too. So, check out Warren Ellis. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

Good luck in your search, my friend. And, for what it's worth, Micronauts has always been lurking at the back of my "comics to possibly check out one day" list, but your effusive praise for that series has lifted it to the "must check this out sooner rather than later" list. Once I gather Rom, I am going to embark on a great Micronauts search. So, thank you for that, Don.